Scope and Contents The vast majority of the William M. Colmer Papers encompass his forty-year career as a United States Congressman from Mississippi (1933-1972). However, it also contains a significant amount of material regarding his activities prior to his election to Congress, and a limited amount of materials generated after his retirement in 1972. The original arrangement of the materials has been preserved as closely as possible. Inclusive dates are approximately 1906–1980. The collection divided...

Abstract This collection has immense research value. In its coverage of Paul B. Johnson's terms as lieutenant governor and governor of Mississippi, it documents one of the most critical periods in the state's history -- the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. The State Sovereignty Commission records, along with the Highway Patrol records paint a graphic portrait of efforts to thwart civil rights activities in the state, and to preserve the separation of the races. Additionally, it documents (through...